Life Goes On
by Kahlia5
Summary: What happens after the 3rd movie.


**This is my first fanfiction. Please be kind and let me know whether I should continue this. Thanks!**

"Yer gettin' sloppy stripes," said the burly man as he reached out his hand to help her up. "Yer mind can't be distracted. No matter how tired or pissed off ya might be, ya can't let yer guard down."

"Ah know, Ah know," she mumbled as she grabbed his hand and stood in the ready position, breathing deeply.

"Then show meh," he grunted, his rich brown eyes offering her a challenge.

Her emerald eyes blazed with a fire that had previously been missing. She darted forward, lunging for him, but he was prepared for such an attack. He dodged her swift movements just as she dodged his. Their attacks were quick, faster than the human eye can follow. Bodies moved in a swirl of motions of kicking, punching, blocking, and dodging. The exercise continued for ten minutes. The young woman was gradually panting harder and harder from all of her exerted effort while her opponent remained fresh; however, she did not allow her body to give up. She pushed herself and forced her aching muscles to continue moving and not to slow down. Sweat glistened from her slim form while he was not even breathing hard.

Her emerald eyes narrowed when she realized that he was going easy on her. She knew she would have to subdue her well-built instructor soon or the burly man would overpower her. In a swift, desperate attack, she swept her left leg, trying to catch him off guard. He tried to back flip away from her, but she had planned on this maneuver. The auburn-haired woman pulled her leg in quickly and grabbed his angles mid-air. He landed with a loud grunt on his back, the air in his lungs momentarily left him. Before he had time to catch his breath, she pounced on him and her fist stopped less than a millimeter away from his throat because she felt the tip of one of his adamantium claws protruding from his knuckles at her rib cage.

"Ya cheated, Logan," the brunette exclaimed, eyes blazing with anger as she shoved off of him, heading towards her gym bag. She forcefully pulled her hair tie out, allowing the white strands to frame her face once again.

"Ya need ta be prepared fer punks who don't follow the rules," Logan growled at her, standing himself up.

"Ah didn't think ah had ta with ya," she snapped at him, chugging down most of the contents in her water bottle.

"Stripes," he growled, running a hand through his black hair in frustration. "What's goin' on? Yer not focused today. There is no way that it should've taken ya that long ta get creative, and even then ya let yer guard down."

"Ah'm just havin' a bad day," she said, avoiding his eyes. "Ah'll be betta tomorrah. Ah promise."

Logan still stood at the center of the fighting mats in the middle of the newly built Xavier Sports Complex. He watched her pack her gym bag and walk toward the double door entrance, her eyes still avoiding his gaze as she ducked by him. As she brushed by him, he tensed and gently grabbed her shoulder before she could move beyond his reach.

"Rogue," he paused, unsure of whether to press or not. His concern for her won out. "Why're ya cryin'?"

At first, not a word was said and nothing happened aside from her shoulders stiffening. They stood there for more than a minute before his heightened senses picked up the strengthened scent of her tears.

"Marie," Logan breathed out before he turned her around and held her tightly. She gripped his shirt as if she never wanted to let go as silent sobs wracked her body.

Logan picked up the young woman bridal style, and carried her to his office effortlessly, and shut the door with his foot when he heard some of the other students approaching the gym.

"Where do you think, like, Logan is," a very preppy voice inquired.

"I don't know," replied a deep voice. "He's always training with Rogue at this time."

Logan put Rogue in his chair and poked his head out of his office door, shaking his head as he went.

"Class is cancelled fer today."

"Like, why, Professor Logan," the peppy brunette asked. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, all of the students groaned while a few of them nudged her to be quiet.

"Just go. Be ready fer tomorrow though," he grinned sadistically. All of the students groaned once more and then bolted out before he could change his mind.

He pulled his head back in to his office to see Rogue wiping her tears away and pulling out her black, elbow length gloves. Her eyes had unidentifiable emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes as she pulled them on. Logan looked on feeling concerned, worried, and especially confused.

"Stripes," the hairy man practically stuttered. "What're ya doin'?"

Her face was still red and puffy from crying, but her control was gradually coming back. Rogue's movements were slow, but controlled. She knew what he was asking, but was still hesitant about revealing anything, even to a man who had become like a father to her ever since they first met in a bar several years ago.

"Ah'm gonna tell ya," she said hesitantly. "But ya cain't tell anyone, even Storm."

He sat on the chair across from the very troubled young woman. His deep, dark brown eyes observed her as he thought about what she was asking. He had to make a decision, and he knew he would never forgive himself if she needed help and he didn't assist her.

"Alright, Rogue," he said, sitting down, now committing himself to whatever she was going to tell him. He knew that she would never ask him to keep something from the leader or the school unless it was truly important. "I'm listenin'."

There was a long pause as she gathered her courage. Logan just sat patiently as he waited for her to explain her emotional breakdown and the reason that she was wearing her gloves again.

"Ah'm hearin' tha voices in mah head again," she said slowly. "Only they're stronger."

Logan's normally passive face conveyed his shock. He and Professor Xavier were the only ones who had known about that side effect of her mutation. The Professor called them psyches. They were the thoughts and memories of the person that didn't fade away when she absorbed a person. They all still had their thoughts and opinions and often tried to force her to do what they wanted. Fortunately, Rogue had always been able to push them aside so they didn't bother her. When she had taken "the cure," the voices had disappeared completely. It was believed that they were gone for good.

"How long?"

"Fo' three days."

"How strong?"

"Ah cain't sleep, ah cain't concentrate, and ah cain't do anythang without conversations happenin' all the tame," she said as the tears started to rise once more. "Ah think mah mutation is returnin'."

Logan pulled his chair to sit next to her and put his arm around her, giving her the courage to continue.

"Ah cain't control them anymore. Ah went to Pizza Pans yesterday and ordered a black olive pizza. Ah wanted it so bad ah could taste it. My mouth was waterin' when it came out and ah shoved a huge piece in mah mouth. Ah swallowed the bite and then ah ran ta tha bathroom and threw it up. Ah hate black olives! Then ah realized it was Piotr who loved black olives." She paused and leaned into his shoulder.

"Ah don't even know who ah am anymore. Eva since ah took tha cure ah have been avoided by Storm, ridiculed by the otha students, and Bobby and ah broke up." Logan sat their listening to how hard it had been for her. He knew all of these things, but never put all of the pieces together because he was too wrapped up in his own little world.

"Ah'm thinkin' ah need ta get outta here fo' a little while," she said and felt his arm tense. "Ah need ta escape from here and find out who ah am again and prepare mahself for the return of mah mutation, but ah cain't do it here."

Logan sat there, soaking in everything that she had said. She stayed against him, patiently waiting for him to respond, knowing that it was a huge blow she had dealt him all at once. He actually understood where she was coming from, probably better than most.

"Where are we goin'," he asked as he turned to her. She sat up quickly and turned to face him.

"We," she emphasized by pointing to the two of them, "will not be goin' anywhere togetha. Ah need to do this on mah own. Please understand that. Ya've trained meh ta fight and think on mah feet. Ah am betta than most because ah had ta be. Please trust me." She could see him struggling with letting her go. "And they need ya here. Ya know there is a lack of teachers here."

He ran his hand through his short, dark hair as he contemplated what she was asking of him. He took a deep breath before he resolved what he was going to tell her.

"Only if ya call every day."

"Absolutely," she said with a huge smile. "But ya'll hafta get a cell phone."

"And…"

"And what?"

"And I want ta adopt ya as my daughter on paper before ya go," he said gently as he stroked her hair.

Rogue started and pulled back to search his eyes. Her emerald orbs started to tear up.

"Really," she whispered. "Ya want meh?"

"Ah will always want ya."

She threw herself at him and hugged him as tight as she could. He gripped her just as hard. They both knew that she was doing the right thing in going, but it was going to be difficult on both of them.

"Come on, stripes," Logan said as he stood up. "Let's go make ya mah daughter."

"Okay."


End file.
